Aiming for the C-Suite
The Critical Executive Skill Many Miss, and How to Master It
Photo by Vladimir Gladkov from Unsplash
The path to the C-Suite is filled with adept leaders who somehow never make it to the position they seek. Their technical skills are proven and superb. Their vision, strategy and track record? All spot on, and yet they remain one level away from their ultimate goal of joining the C-Suite. The missing ingredient isn’t what you might think — oftentimes it’s not about working harder or longer. The critical skill that may be missing is all about mastering productive disagreement.
But here’s what I’ve learned as an Executive with my own C-Suite experience, and from 18yrs of coaching Executives: the C-Suite demands emphasis on being effective over being liked.
A Must-Have in the C-Suite Is the Ability to Disagree Clearly & Well.
The C-Suite requires the ability to challenge ideas, push back on strategies, and voice dissenting opinions while maintaining the relationships that make collaboration possible. Too many otherwise exceptional leaders get trapped in two equally problematic patterns:
They either bulldoze others with aggressive pushback that alienates, or
They soften their positions to the point that their input gets lost.
Earlier this year I worked with a Director who exemplified the second trap perfectly. He had vision, was strategic, he consistently delivered strong results and he was admired by his team, but in Executive meetings, he routinely undermined his authority with soft openings like “I see your point but…”
The room would hear “I see your point” and mentally check out before he reached his actual recommendation. When you say “I see your point” in a professional setting, people hear agreement. They do not hear acknowledgment. Even if you follow up with your actual perspective, they’ve already mentally filed your position under agrees with me.
Opening your remarks with phrases like “I see your point” create a false consensus effect, which causes your actual position to get lost in translation and causes your influence to erode.
We worked together to strip away the apologetic framing he had become accustomed to using, and we replaced it with a three-step approach that commands respect.
-First, paraphrase their position precisely: “You’re suggesting we push the team to deliver more in Q4, even with current capacity deficits?”
-Second, ask hard questions that reveal potential blind spots: “How will we maintain quality and prevent burnout with the timeline you propose?”
-Third, frame your perspective as a recommendation and present it clearly: “Based on Q3 data, I recommend extending the timeline by three weeks to ensure sustainable results.”
No softening. No apologies. Just clear thinking delivered with self-assurance.
The transformation was immediate and measurable. His recommendations started influencing decisions instead of getting lost in politeness. People began seeking his input proactively rather than viewing him as the person who’d eventually go along with what the room decided.
Photo by Getty Images via Unsplash+
Disagreeing clearly and well without eroding relationships is the crucial tactic and mental shift that separates C-suite Execs from everyone else.
This isn’t about being cold or being an overly-aggressive know-it-all. It’s about speaking when you have something of value to say, and being clear.
The C-suite isn’t looking for overly polite.
They’re looking for the person whose voice changes the direction of important conversations.
They’re looking for a leader who can be counted on to think clearly, speak directly, and contribute meaningfully to the important decisions the organization makes.
In a world where a meeting can literally determine a company’s future, there’s great need for leaders who have mastered the art of disagreeing with both clarity and grace.